Polyethylene oxide polymers are intrinsic to oil spill dispersants used in Macondo well blowout of 2010. We believe that effective thermo-physical modeling of these materials should assist the application of lab-scale results into ocean-scales....

With recent advancements in the synthesis and characterization of polymeric materials, scientists are able to create multi-scale novel polymers with various cases of chemical functionalities, diversified topologies, as well as cross-linking...

"Hydrophobic hydration of non polar molecules is the principal driving force that dictates several interfacial phenomena in nature such as self assembly of surfactant molecules, fate of environmental pollutants, wetting of surfaces, solution...

In the work presented here we have used a function-based approach to isolate 12 novel cell-penetrating peptides from a 10,000+ member peptide library of rational design. Our unique high-throughput screen differentiates non-membranolytic from...

Amphiphilic polymers are a subset of macromolecules that exhibit both hydrophobic and hydrophilic moieties within their covalently bonded structures. Because of the differing solubilities of the contrasting regions of the amphiphilic polymers, they...

Currently, most contact lenses are made with a silicone hydrogel (Si-Hy) blend that provides softness for comfort as well as high oxygen permeability. Silicone hydrogel lenses have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas, and the natural...

In recent years exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in humans and wildlife has become an increasing concern. These compounds have been found ubiquitously in the environment and are suspected to induce adverse effects on the health of...

Oligonucleotides (ONs) are typically defined as short nucleic acid polymers that are 20 to 200 bases long. It has been well known that aptamers (single-stranded DNA or RNA ONs) can adopt distinct three-dimensional folded structures and bind to...

Self-assembly is the most promising technique to create atomistically accurate nanostructures in today's world. Currently, practicing self-assembly in industrial production of ordered structures is limited by poor understanding of the fundamental...

The goal of this research is to study the neutralization of sulfuric acid by engine oils, and more specifically study how the presence of different oil additives affects the acid-neutralizing performance of engine oils by using capillary...

This research is aimed at studying the ionic liquid/n-pentanol interface via
video-microscopy and molecular dynamic simulations. Understanding the interfacial
phenomena and interfacial transport between ionic liquids and other liquids is of...

Silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) are regarded as a promising alternative of traditional II-VI quantum dots in the field of bio-applications due to their photoluminescence and bio-compatibility. Chapter 1 reviews various synthetic routes and...

The use of ethanol as an additive to gasoline fuel is becoming a common phenomenon. It helps solve the energy crisis and environmental issues that fossil fuel has brought about. However, when dissolved in motor oil, ethanol would dilute motor oil...